Crane-rail lock



Sept. 15,1925. 1,553,439

M. WLGOLDBERG CRANE RAIL LOCK Filed.Feb. 20. 1925 IN VEN TOR.

TTORNEYS VMM Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX W. GOIJJBERG, OF PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 'MODERNPOUR- ING DEVICE 00., OF PORT WASHINGTON, vWISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OFWIS- CONSIN.

CRANE-RAIL LOCK.

Application filed February 20, 1925. SerialN'o. 10,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MAX WV. GOLDBERG, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Port Washingtomin the county of Ozaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Crane-RailLocks, of which the following is a description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in crane rail locks.

Modern foundries are now usually equipped with overhead cranes forconveying crucibles filled with molten metal to different parts of thefoundry to be used in pouring molds in forming castings; Overhead cranesare ordinarily adapted to travel along straight lines and to reach alldesirable portions of the building, branch rails of the monorail typeare provided, so that the crane rail can be moved to a position inalinement with one of the branch rails and the trolley and its load canbe easily transferred from the crane to the branch rail for furthermovement to its point of discharge. Careless workmen in moving thetrolley and its load from place to place do not always see that thecrane rail is in register with the branch rail, or even that thevcraneis near the said rail, with the result that the trolley runs off the endof the rail and falls, causing great injury and possibly loss of life.

It is one of the objects of the present in.- vention to overcome thebefore mentioned objectionable features and provide a crane rail lockwhich will lock the two rail ends together when in alined position, andwhen out of alinement, the ends of-the rails will be automaticallyguarded in a manner to prevent the trolley from running off the endsthere of.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crane rail lock whichmay be easily controlled from a point beneath the crane to unlocktherail sections when it is desired to move the crane to another point.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crane rail lockhaving. means for automatically guiding the locking member to lockingposition and to automatically move the guard members to positions toper-' mit the free passage of the trolley from one rail end to theother. A further object of the invention .is to provide a crane raillock which is of simple construction, is strong and durable, and is welladapted for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of theimproved crane rail lock and its parts and combinations as set'forthin'the claims, and all equivalents thereof. v

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference charactersindicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. l is a side View of adjacent rail ends of an overhead crane and'abranch track having the improved rail lock mounted thereon; and

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates the end portion of anoverhead crane rail which is carried by the crane (not shown). The craneis adapted to travel crank type and its shorter arm 11 extends upwardlyat an angle, and at its end portion is provided with a downwardlyextending pin 13 which is surrounded by coiled springs 14 and 14 toyieldingly hold the lever in its locking position. The lower springengages the bracket and a washer 15 is interposed between thetwo'springs to hold the springs spaced apart. By using two springs inplace of one, buckling of the spring is prevented. The outerrfree end ofthe lever is flanged on its side edges to form locking shoulders 16which are adapted to extend downwardly on both sides of the upperportions of the adjacent rail ends 5 and 6 to lock the rail endstogether. The free end portion of the lever .11 is also provided withlaterally extending cam projections 16 which are adapted to engage theupper'side cause saidends to ride upwardly and over the ends of fixedrails to permit the lever to swing downwardly into locking position withthe said .fiXed rail end.

The bracket 9 isv also provided with an.- other pivot pin 17 upon whichis mounted a U-shaped stop guard member 18 "and a controlling arm 19.'lfhe arms of the member 18 are positioned on opposite sides oftherailfi and when swung downwardly Q a s 'tl 'lev 1 he i f ms l 9?:tend ownwardlytp ott d. ne posi ion shown in Eigfl and serve as stops-to-"prevent the trolley Tfrom running oil the end of the crane rail.upper portion of the shaped gua d em er s P vided w a. recess andshouldered portion 18 which is adapte to en sho lde ed por n 21 f r edenlewe Si e ofthe l v t Ifliseand d said la filq l PQ itiQ when it is tounlock the'ti ack ends. operating means in the form of a rod 22connected at'its upper end to the free end of the controlling arm anddepending downwardly therefrom and is provided with a handle 22" at itslower end for convenience in handling. i

a The lever is also formedwith an angular extension 23 having a roundedend adapted toengage roller 24; journaled' on a braoket25 which isbolted to the upper p r ib f. l e sediafl n ifia b a et is also providedwith a 'U-shaped stop guard member 26 which is pivotally connected tothe bracket 2 5 a transversely extending pivot piii 26. The arms 2 ofthis guard member are positioned on opposite sides of the fiXed railandare ada ted to drop downvar 'y hj t in f it en b W vent trolleystravelling on said; rail from un in of t e nd h x ra l W theoranerail isnot in register with said fixed rail. The'rounded end and, inclined a thxtens 28, wh n th o e tr s fi r dvi o i g W hftl fli track, will engagethe upper portion 26" o f thelguard membr 2 6 and force said portionandthe guard arnis 27 up: wardly, asindficated in Fig 1', and thuspermit the travelot the trolley when 'therails are inregisterf Th i r' po id s for t P rts be ing proper distance apart when the entensionengages the g uard member 26'.

It will be n'oted that the guard arms swing dqwnwe d r' i a d rect e ild th re? peet e. mi end q- 1 a he. m P i ns of, the guard members willabut againstp or;

. tions of the brackets or levers and thereby held the a -ms. aw d n piQiti is SW1 e t a 3; the t l ey he eby Froin the foregoingdescription, itwill be r seen that the crane rail lockis of very simple constructionand is lwell adapted for the purpose described.

il ha la e y n en i n 1-. The combination with a fixed and a movabletrolley rail, of a means for locking he rails t g h r in ll-med pos t n,prising a lever memb wanted on on of the rails and movable to lockingly.engage the other rail, means controlling the movement of thelever, andmeans carried by each fail for blocking" the travel of a trolley offeither rail end when the rails are not alinement. I r i i 2- The b nat nwith a fle a d a movable r ley o a mea s for lo k- 118' the ra tos he nan main comprising a lever member mountedbn one of the rails andmovableto lockingly engage the other rail, a rotary member moiinted themovable rail for controllinglthe novement of the lever member and" forb10cl;ing the travel of a trolley off the of the movable rail, and atrolley blocking men er carried by the fixed railandf controlled' by themovement of th e lever member;

3. The combination with a fined and a movable trolley rail, of a meansfor look} ing the rails together in .alined position comprising a levermember mounted on the movable rail and movable to lookingly engage thefixed rail, a rotary member mutied on the movable rail foreontrollingjthe movement lofthe lever member and having a P r o which wn i 'e ewe l r ey mov men en th e ir iil be is in its upper position,and a trolle y block} ing member carriediby the fixedraillarid s r l ythe; Mame he l i memberQ 4- The comb on w h fixe a a movable trolleyrail, of a nieans for locking the m le to e he in Mi ed .i a b K 61iprisinga lever member, mounted on the mot e tail n c-vale Q1 eg enga hfixe m tary m mb r-mo nted 611 th m vab e rajo q itr lie th mo n of th ee member id havin a portion 7 which swings into the path trol li y m emn Wllfi he l ve embe is its upp 1 i t s n hd' troll .bleekieg memb r arie y th 'fixe a andilme a le qwnva tq t o ley block n Posi ion when thelever member disengage s the fixed rail. l

The combination with a fixed and a mo a le acne mi qr ip 'k s the a sWeat in al i meta Comprising a edia m im d r the'fmb able. rail, a levermember. pivoted to the br k and movab e 9 Qkin' y' e the fixed railwhenbot rails arein alifned position, a trolley locking member pivoted era k an movab be tr i y'b kne" p o we n i h i ioni t d i gages the.lever member from the rail, a bracket mounted on the fine digail; andatrolley blocking member pivoted to the fixed rail bracket and engaged bythe lever member and movable to blocking position when disengaged by thelever member.

6. The combination with a fixed and a movable trolley rail, of a meansfor looking the rails together in alined position, comprising a bracketmounted on the movable rail, a lever member pivoted to the bracket andyieldingly movable to lockingly engage the fixed rail When both railsare in alined position, a trolley locking member pivoted to the bracketand movable to trolley blocking position and in which position itdisengages the lever member from the fixed rail, a bracket mounted onthe fixed rail, and a trolley blocking member pivoted to the fixed railbracket and engaged by the lever member and movable by gravity tobloc-king position when disengaged by the lever member,

7. The combination with a fixed and a movable trolley rail, of a meansfor locking the rails together in alined position, comprising a bracketmounted on the movable rail, a lever member pivoted to the bracket,

a spring for normally holding the lever member in looking position, atrolley looking member pivoted to the bracket and having a locking armwhich swings in the trolley path of movement when the member is turnedto disengage the lever member from the fixed rail, a bracket mounted onthe fixed rail, and a trolley blocking member pivoted to the fixed railbracket and engaged by the lever member when said lever member is inengagement with the fixed rail but movable to trolley blocking positionwhen the lever member disengages the fixed rail.

8. The combination with a fixed and a movable overhead trolley rail, ofa means for locking the rails together in alined position, comprising abracket mounted on the movable rail, a lever member pivoted to thebracket, a spring for normally and yieldingly holding the lever memberin looking position, a Ushaped trolley locking member pivoted to thebracket and having locking arms which swing in the trolley path ofmovement when the'member is turned to disengage the lever member :fromthe fixed rail, means for controlling the U-shaped member, a bracketmounted on the fixed rail, and a trolley blocking member pivoted to thefixed rail but movable to trolley blocking position when the levermember disengages the fixed rail.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature.

MAX W. GOLDBERG.

